And john e



Dec. 22, 1931'. M. G. VAN ARSDALE ET AL STOCKING AND IMPROVED METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME Filed Feb. 25, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet l A TTORNEYS.

Dec. 22, 1931- M. cs. VAN ARSDALE'ET AL 1,337,737

STOCKING AND IMPROVED METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 25, 19 31 INVENTORI "Mama Um W I ATTORNE M; YS

Dec. 22, 1931- M. ca. VAN ARSDALE ET AL 1,837,737

STOCKING AND v IMPROVED METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME Filed Feb. 25, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 O O. .OQQQQQOQ QQQQQQQQ 0 0 0 0 0mm J3. mw

INVENTORS BY L kw ATTORNEYS.

x anoom a. van ansnnn,

' rial, that is material which does not run or the sole section on knitting machine o Patented Dec. 22, 1931' UNITED .s r-A Tas or snonr mLs, NEW mnsnr, m

mmon, rnmwsnvmm PATENT OFFICE.

s'rooxmo Ann mrnovnn manic]: or mhnnracrnmne rnn sum Application fled February 2'5, 1931. Serial No. 518,092.

Our invention 'relates to a new and im: moved stocking, and a new and improved -ethod for manufacturing the same. i

- One-of the objects of our invention is to provide a practical and commeroi-almethod for producing a stocking inwhichthe leg of the stocking is made of raVeI- resiStant materavel, in which thestockin is-finished by term the toesectiom-the eel sectlon, and

the un erfoot or sole section upon anordinary --hosiery knitting-machine of'the type.

which is us'ed or knitting ordinary fullfashioxied stockings. The stitches which'are produced by the-ordinary knitting machine ated as chain loops.

m be desi 'Kn'other ofiiect of our invention is to pro- "a ractical and commercial manner with a we t,-a heel section, etc.,- said welt,-heel secloop: on an ordinary hosiery machine.

tion' and the like being formed with chain other ciiject of our invention is to vide a stocking ofthistype,'- which shall ave the appearance of a high priced stocking, and

which can be manufactured at ducted-cosh Another object of our-invention is to pro- .vide a stockingof superior appearance and durability, in which the leg of the stocking is knit so as to have large meshes the other part of the stocking bein made 0 ordinary 't fabric having chain oops.

greatly re- Other objects of our invention will be set forth in the following description and drawin'gs which illustrate apreferred'embodiment -th'ei:eof, it being understood that the above general statement of the objects of our invention is intended merely to generally explain the same and not to it in any Fig.- 1 is an elevation of a completed stockingmade according to our invention, this typeof stocking. having a. type of foot which,

with the exce tion of the toe, is known in the 11 trade as an nglish foot having side seams. -58.

" Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view'on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. J

Fig. 3 is a detail elevation showin the flat-construction of the lowerart 0 the stocking illustrated in Fig.1, s owing also at continuous instep portion, heels and high splicing or reinforcement andwithout foot bottom or toe.

- Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 Y of Flg. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view-on the line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view showin how the le blank is transferred to the nee es of an or nary knitting machine, in order to form the welt section or the lik Fig. 7 is a plan view corresponding to the position of the welt and of the leg blank, which is illustrated in Fig. 8'.

, Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig.6 showing how the welt is originally knitted, independently of the leg blank.

Fig. 9' is a view similar to Fig. 8 showing how the tab 'or'end' of the leg blank is bent over the welt.

Fig. His 0. viewsimilar-to 9 showing the next operation in knitting the welt. This figure shows, in dotted lll19S,h0W the welt is brought back and is transferred to the needles. Fig. 12 is a plan view showin the welt and leg blank after the welthas en finished, this view. correspondin to Fi 13. w

Fig. 13 is a viewsimi ar to F1g.-11 showing how the welt has been doubled inorder to form a closed loop, the knitting rocess having. been continued to provide t flat loop with a tab, which is utilized for the welt. i

Fig. 14 showsthe type of leg blank which is utilized for producing a type of stocking having what is known in. the trade as the the heel sections are interknit with the leg blank.

Fig. 15 is similar to Fig. 14, save that it illustrates the blank which is utilized for producing that type of stocking having the English foot instep.

Fig. 16 shows the type of leg blank which is utilized for producing that type of stocking having the English foot, without our improvements. Fig. 17 illustrates a seamed stocking showing the general appearance of a stocking foot having the English type of foot without improvements.

Fig. 18 is an end or edge view of Fig. 15.

The silk stockings which are commonly manufactured do not have long life, due to the fact that the leg portion of the stocking is knit with chain loops, so that a broken thread produces runs or ladders.

In order to eliminate this objection, it has been proposed to knit the leg portion of a stocking from fiat piece goods, such as silk, which have been-knit on a warp machine, which is commonly known in the trade as a milanese or tricot machine. This material is also known as glove silk fabric, and it has been largely used for silk underwear and the like.

' However, it has been very diflicult to properly attach to a leg portion made of this material, a welt, a heel, a toe, and underfoot which are made of ordinary fabric having chain stitches, or loops.

This has been particularly difiicult when the leg portion of the stocking was knit in the form of an open mesh.

. According to our invention a stocking of superior appearance, having the leg portion made of open mesh fabric which has been knitted in the fiat condition on a milanese or tricot machine, can be readily interknit with the other portions of the stocking, by using the ordinary finishing machines known to the trade, such as the footer, etc., which produce ordinary chain loops. I

We have illustrated our invention with re spect to the manufacture of a fashioned stock-' ing, in which the stocking is first knit and cut in flat shape, and the edges of the blank are then sewed together. However, we do not wish to be limited to any particular type of stocking, and in particular we do not wish to be limited to a stocking in which the leg portion is made of warp-knit fabric.

The leg blank L may be knitted into any suitable shape, dependin upon the type of foot which is desired in't 'e completed stocking. For example, the leg blank may have an integral instep portion I and integral heel tabs H. This blank is made of warp-knit fabric, which may have large meshes, so as to present an ornamental appearance.

In order to finish the stocking by making the welt and other portions, it is necessary to use an ordinary knitting machine of fine gauge. If the large meshes of the leg-blank L were transferred to the needles of an ordinary knitting machine, each one of the large meshes of the leg blank would be transferred to two or more of the needles of the ordinary knitting machine, so that runs or ladders would be produced, if it was attempted to interknit the leg blank with a welt, or with the heel or the like, in the ordinary manner. We have specifically illustrated the formation of a welt, and it is to be understood that the heel section, the toe section, and the underfoot section can be produced in substantially the same;

blank are transferred to the needles N of an ordinary knitting machine, which is to produce the welt. Each one of the meshes of the leg blank has'a number of the needles N pass ing through the same, and each one of the meshes of the leg blank preferably has the same number of the needles N passing through the same.

When the leg blank is so transferred, the major portion of the leg blank is at one side of the needles N, and a tab or end portion 1 of the leg blank is at the other side of the needles The leg blank is so transferred as to be below the sinkers S and also below the knocking-over bits K so that the knitting machine can operate without operating upon the leg blank L.

When the leg blank has been so transferred, as shown in Fig. 6, the knitting of the welt W is started in the usual manner, the ordinary welt hooks 10 being utilized. This step is shown in Fig. 8.

When a sufiicient length of the welt has been knitted, the tab or end 1 of the leg blank is passed over the beards of the needles N in such a manner that no fabric is left on the back of the needles, each large mesh being passed over and between the needles to the front and above the partly knitted welt shown in Fig. 9. That is, if the welt fabric was not already on the needles, thd'large mesh fabric, due to the turning over thb tab would be completely removed from 'the needles. This cannot happen because the mesh fabric, while it actually comes off clear from-the needles, is retained by' the welt fabric and is not either under the needle beards or in contact with the needles after having been turned back. Referring to the large open mesh it willbe. noticed that the large loops or meshes are interlinked with the loops of the welt and the entire leg .of the stocking is suspended by this linking of the large loops into the small loops, the large mesh linking into and between a multiple of the smaller welt fabric loops. In actual practice the leg is not knitted on to the welt by having stitches or loops drawn throu h it in the ordinary knitti process, but y a lockin of the lar e-mes into the small mesh fabric. After t e arts vare in the position shown in Fig. 9, the 1tting of the welt causes its loops to ass through and interlink with the meshes o the leg blank, without binding the interlinked in the fine chain stitches of the welt A picot edge is formed along the line 11.

When a suitable length of the welt has been knittedf, the outer loops of the welt are. re-- leased rom the welt hooks 10, and these outer loops are then transferred to the needles N,

this being indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 11

The knitting operation is then continued as shown in Fig. 13, so as to produce a closed loop commonly known as a welt having a, tabv or extension 12. This tab or extension 12 is then looped close to the inner surface of the welt along the line 14 with a lock stitch looper.

I Hence, and as shown in Fig. 2, the welt'comprises a flat closed 100 made of finechain stitches, and interlocked with the top of the leg blank, the top of the leg blank bein located between the interior walls of sai 'flat.

loop. Likewise, when the is pleted, the finish of the welt is invisible from the exterior of the stocking. Such a tab as is needed to make a looping course for a completed finished welt is not necessary on hosiery welts when the welt is at the beginningof a stocking, as in the ordinary rocess of making full-fashioned hosie y for in that case where the wel't is made first the entire stockin le takes the place of the tab and is looped 0 at heel and toe. But in the case when the stocking is made upside down and the welt at the latter end, such a looping off tab is necessary. We have so placed this tab as to hide the looping off from being conspicuously shown where the attachment of the welt and leg'blank is suspended.

The same general method is utilized for forming the other sections which are to be interknit with the leg blank.

For example, and as shown in Fig. 5, the

toe section T of the stocking includes a flat v loop having walls 8 and 9, which enclose a tab or end' the leg blank is locke and sn spended in substantially the same manne as of the le blank L. The end of I ing is provided with a loop having walls-5 and 6, these walls being suspended from leg blank L, its meshes interlocking in the flat loop substantially in the same manner as the 1 o y welt and toe. It is therefore possible to take a leg blank- L made of warp-knit fabric, and to easily and firmly interknit or suspend the same with the other sections of the stocking, thus providing 7 a handsome stocking of expensive and orna mental appearance, and at a greatly reduced cost.

As shown in Fig. 2, the welt of the stocking is finished above the top of the upper end 1 of the leg blank L. For convenience, the type of knit fabric which is used for making the leg of the stocking may be designated as open-mesh fabric, because the meshes are readily visible, instead, of being practically "in'visible as in the case of' fabric which. is

knitted upon a fine gauge machine. This fabric may be any tricot fabric, or any milanese fabric, without departing from the-invention; Y

While we have shown a preferred method .of making the im roved stocking, we do not wish to be limite to any particular method of making the same. It will be noted that the loops ofthe legblanks and the loops of the supplemental stocking section are interlinked, instead of being interknit. When the term interlinked is used in-the claims, we

intend to exclude 'a stocking in which the I parts ofthe stocking which'a're referred. to in said claims are interknit. The improved stocking has the loops of the sections intermeshed without binding them to each other,

ordinary interknittin'g, would be objectionable because-it'would require additional nonraveling stitches and an objectionable bulge would be produced at the line of intersection.

as; said lama1 ;.which would result from; Q}:

Likewise, we do not wish to be limited to any size of mesh opening or to any particular mesh pattern, and the invention also includes plain tricot or milanese fabrics, or any other abric. That is, many features of the invention are applicable to a stocking having a leg made of chain-loop knitted fabric of the ordinary kind. -For-convenience, the opening of the leg blank may be referred to either as meshes or'loops. When we refer to loops in the claims, we intend to include a warpknit fabric as well as ordinary knit fabric having chain-loops. I

Likewise, while we have shown a preferred embodiment of our invention, it is obvious that numerous changes and omissions could and also forming said loop with a tab, and

wall of said welt.

2. A method of connecting a knitted leg blank of a stocking to another section of said stocking, which consists in transferring the knitted leg blank to the needles of a knitting machine, so that the major portion of said leg blank is on one side of said needles, and the end portion of said leg blank is on the other side of said needles, knitting said section on said needles wholly separated from said leg blank, passing the end of the leg blank over the ends of said needles, so that the end of said leg blank overlies the knitted section, and transferring the outer loops of said knitted section to said needles to form a closed interknitted loop which is interknit with the end of said leg blank.

3. A method of connecting a knit leg blank of a stocking to another section of said stocking, which consists in transferring the knitted leg blank to the needles of a knitting machine, so that the major portion of said leg blank is on one side of the said needles, and the end portion of said leg blank is on the other side of said 'needles, knitting said section on said needles wholly separated from said leg blank, passing the end of the leg blank over the ends of said needles, so that the end of said leg blank overlies the knitted section, trans fer-ring the outer loops of said knitted section to said needles to form a closed interknitted loop which is interknit' with the end of said leg blank, and continuing the knitting operation by means of said needles to form said loop with a tab. I

4. An improved stocking comprising a leg section of warp-knit open mesh fabric having a stocking-section connected to one end thereof, said stocking-section consisting of a knitted loop which encloses and which is interknit with the adjacent end portion of said leg section, said stocking-section being knit with chain loops and having a closer mesh than said leg section.

5. A method of forming a stocking having a leg blank of knit material, and a stocking section which is formed of knit material and which is connected to said leg blank, which consists in knitting said stocking section so as to increase its length after knitting its loops so'that they extend through the loops of said leg blank intermediate the ends of said leg blank, and the loops of said leg blank and'of said section are loosely interlinked? 6. A method of forming a stocking having a leg blank made of knit material, and having a stocking section which is made of knit material and which is connected to said leg blank, which consists in knitting saidstocking section with a double Wall, and interlinking the loops of only one of said double ing walls with the loops of the leg blank, intermediate the ends of said leg blank.

7. A method of forming a stocking having a leg blank made of knit material, and a stocksection which is connected to said leg blank, said stocking section being also made of knit material, which consists in knitting said stocking section with double Walls, interlinking said stocking-section with the leg blank intermediate the ends of the leg blank,

and finishing the stocking section to form a loop by connecting its ends together at a point which is spaced from the line of intersection between said loop and the leg blank.

8. An improved stocking comprising a leg section made of knit material, and'a stocking section made of knit material, the loops of the stocking section being interlinked with the loops of the leg section intermediate the ends of the leg section, said stocking section consisting of a knitted fabric loop having its ends connected to each other, the line of said connection being spaced from the line of intersection between said section and said leg blank.

9. An improved stocking comprising a leg section made of Warp-knit material and having a stocking section made 'of chain-loop knitted material connected thereto inter mediate the ends of said leg section, the loops of said leg section passing through the loops of the stocking section intermediate the ends of said leg section, the interlinked loops having a relative free movement with respect to each other. i

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures.

MALCOLM G. VAN ARSDALE. JOHN E. DAKIN. 

